See the 2026 Mayor’s Design Awards Winners

Elevation 1659. Photo by Urban Milwaukee staff.

The City of Milwaukee is recognizing the best in design through its 29th annual Mayor’s Design Awards.

A total of 24 projects are being recognized across four categories, with honorees ranging from neighborhood murals and pedestrian malls to affordable housing developments and major civic buildings.

An in-person ceremony to recognize the winners is being held Wednesday evening at the UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Mayor Cavalier Johnson is leading the ceremony.

Administered by the Department of City Development, the awards program began under Mayor John Norquist and was continued by Mayor Tom Barrett. The 2026 awards are the fourth under Johnson.

Places & Spaces

The following projects have found unique opportunities to contribute to the character of their neighborhoods and have made Milwaukee’s streets, parks and public spaces more attractive and inviting through enhanced infrastructure, public art and community-centered design.

• MKE Rec Wick Playfield & Modrzejewski Playfields – 4929 W. Vliet St. and 1020 W. Cleveland Ave. – Milwaukee Recreation, Ayres Associates Inc., Quorum Architects, Nicholas & Associates, VJS Construction Services Inc., The Sigma Group, LWCF, SITE Design Group – Read more
• Rogers Street Academy & Nativity Jesuit Pedestrian Malls – S. 24th St. at W. Rogers St. and S. 29th St. at W. Orchard St. – Milwaukee Public Schools, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, JSD, Selzer-Ornst Construction Company, Nativity Jesuit Academy, Berghammer Construction Corporation, Department of Public Works – Read more
• Brown Wilbert Vault Co. “Love You More” Mural – 3900 S. 13th St. – Brown Wilbert Vault Co., Cory Nikolaus, Gateway to Milwaukee BID 40
• Washington Park Bridge Replacement – 4301 W. Lloyd St. – Milwaukee County Parks, EXP
• South Shore Beach Relocation – 2900 S. Shore Dr. – Milwaukee County Parks, Wisconsin DNR, UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, SmithGroup
• King Drive Streetscape & BRUSH Mural Initiative – N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. corridor – Historic King Drive BID, Elevated Identity, Sign Effectz, Retailworks, HNTB, Rozalia Hernandez Singh, Mohit Singh, Reynaldo Hernandez, Emem Group – Read more
• Downtown Dog Park – 103 W. Clybourn St. – Milwaukee Downtown BID #21, Historic Third Ward BID #2, WisDOT, FHWA, GRAEF, Stephen Perry Smith Architects, Berghammer Construction, Fromm Family Foods – Read more

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Vibrant Corridors

The following projects are revitalizing Milwaukee’s commercial corridors by restoring or constructing buildings that activate the public realm, create new destinations and reinforce walkable neighborhood business districts.

• Niche Book Bar – 1937 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. – Cetonia Weston-Roy, Niche Book Bar LLC, Van Cleave Architecture, Braatz Building, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Spring Bank, Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, Valentine Group, Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation – Read more
• The Allen Building – 1944 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. – Melissa Allen, Maures Development Group, Engberg Anderson Architects – Read more
• Jackson’s Soul Food Redefined Express – 6137 W. Fond du Lac Ave. – Jacquelynn Jackson – Read more
• Wash-N-Spin Laundromat – 4200 W. Capitol Dr. – Wash-N-Spin LLC, Stacy Kasperek, Stephanie Sova, JM Remodeling and Construction
• METZ CPA Milwaukee – 3804 W. Vliet St. – Allume Architects, Colorwheel Painting
• Milwaukee Family Dental – 3615 W. Oklahoma Ave. – Milwaukee Family Dental LLC
• The Giving Tree Garage – 902 S. 2nd St. – Draft MKE, Giving Tree Garage LLC, Braatz Building, Sawfish General Contracting, TKWA, Ramsey Jones Architects – Read more

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Urbanism Redefined

The following projects made extraordinary contributions to Milwaukee’s built environment through large-scale civic, institutional and mixed-use developments that elevate architecture, create community connections and expand opportunities for education and public services.

• Associated Bank Theater Center & Milwaukee Repertory Theater – 122 E. Wells St. – Milwaukee Repertory Theater Inc., Associated Bank National Association, Eppstein Uhen Architects, Hunzinger Construction, Chamberlin LLC – Read more
• Urban Ecology Center – Washington Park Branch – 1859 N. 40th St. – Quorum Architects, VJS Construction Services, Pierce Engineers, Ring & DuChateau, Payne & Dolan
• Marcia P. Coggs Health & Human Services Center – 1230 W. Cherry St. – Milwaukee County DHHS, Engberg Anderson Architects, JP Cullen – Read more
• Martin Luther King Library & Apartments – 2901 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. – Milwaukee Public Library, Emem Group, General Capital Group, JLA Architects, Moody Nolan Architects – Read more

Everything Begins at Home

In declaring 2026 the “Year of Housing,” Johnson is focusing the city’s development efforts on housing supply, affordability and quality. Several award-winning projects reflect that emphasis through market-rate, affordable and supportive housing developments across Milwaukee.

• Elevation 1659 – 1659 N. Jackson St. – Ogden Multifamily Partners, Striegel-Agacki Studio, Pepper Construction – Read more
• Evoni Apartments – 615 E. Corcoran Ave. – Inland Investments, Kaeding Development Group, Ramlow/Stein Architecture + Interiors, VJS Construction Services – Read more
• Vets Place Central – 3330 W. Wells St. – The Center for Veterans Issues, The Alexander Company, Kelly Construction & Design, Galbraith Carnahan Architects, raSmith, Spire Engineering – Read more
• LaMarr Franklin Lofts – 3317 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. – Martin Luther King Economic Development Corp., KG Development Group, Workshop Architects, Catalyst Construction, Bader Philanthropies, WHEDA, The Sigma Group, Prism Technical Group, Athena, Baker Tilly, Hope Community Capital – Read more
• The Corliss – 135 E. Becher St. – Bear Development, Kahler Slater, GRAEF, WHEDA – Read more
• CDA Scattered Sites Project – 40 homes on 20 sites – Community Development Alliance, Emem Group, MESH Construction, WHEDA – Read more
• Homes MKE – More than 70 homes across Milwaukee – Acts Housing, Advance Builders, CME Development LLC, Ezekiel HOPE, Financial Freedom, Maures Development Group, MLK EDC, One 5 Olive/Milwaukee Community Land Trust, Rico Love Foundation/Mayfield Properties, Servant Manor, Strong Blocks, T.A.S. Solutions, Walnut Way Conservation Corp., Walters Renovations – Read more

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